STEREO Hunts for Remains of an Ancient Planet near Earth

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Fri Apr 10 23:06:40 EDT 2009

Ron Baalke posted:

" http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/09apr_theia.htm?list973415

STEREO Hunts for Remains of an Ancient Planet near Earth
NASA Science News, April 9, 2009"

Some additional papers and articles are:

Stereo spacecraft set to search for lunar origins By Pete
Spotts, Christian Science Monitor,

http://features.csmonitor.com/discoveries/2009/04/10/stereo-spacecraft-set-to-search-for-lunar-leftovers/

Giant impact hypothesis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_impact_hypothesis

The Origin of the Moon and the Single Impact Hypothesis
by A. G. W. Cameron

http://www.xtec.es/recursos/astronom/moon/camerone.htm

The Theia Hypothesis: New Evidence Emerges that Earth and
Moon Were Once the Same, July 05, 2007,

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/07/the-theia-hypot.html

O'Neill, H.S., 2007, Bowen Lecture: The origin of the Moon
and the early history the Earth revisited

http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/SFgate/SFgate?&listenv=table&multiple=1&range=1&directget=1&application

Halliday, A. N., 2008, A young Moon-forming giant impact at
70–110 million years accompanied by late-stage mixing, core
formation and degassing of the Earth. Philosophical
transactions of the Royal Society A. vol. 366, no. 1883,
pp. 4163-4181. Abstract at:

http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/366/1883/4163.abstract

PDF file of paper at

http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/366/1883/4163.full.pdf+html

Yours,

Paul H.

Microtektites from Antarctica

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Fri Apr 3 17:45:55 EDT 2009

McCall, J., 2008, Microtektites from Antarctica
Geoscientist 18.8 September 2008

http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/geonews/page4229.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Crater impostor unmasked as sheep-dip

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Fri Apr 3 17:56:24 EDT 2009

Crater impostor unmasked as sheep-dip

"The supposed meteorite that supposedly caused the
supposed “Sirente crater” in the Abruzzi mountains
did not bring down the Roman Empire after all. Ted
Nield reports. Geoscientist Online 19 March 2009"

http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist/geonews/page5368.html

The references given in this article are:

Bondre, N 2009: Crater or not? Nature Geoscience vol. 2 March 2009 p. 166

Ormö J et al., 2002: The Sirente Crater Field, Italy. Meteorit.
Planet. Sci., 37 1507-1521
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2002M%26PS...37.1507O

Speranza, F et al., 2004: An anthropogenic origin of the “Sirente
Crater”, Abruzzi, Italy. Meteorit. Planet. Sci., 39, 4, 635-649
http://www.earth-prints.org/handle/2122/3941

Speranza, F et al., 2009: The “Sirente crater field”, Italy,
revisited. Journal of Geophysical Research. vol. 114, B03103,
doi:10.1029/2008JB005759.
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2008JB005759.shtml

Yours,

Paul H.

ALICES Tr3k3Δ

Mysterious White Rabbit Comes & Goes in Time
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOVA: Comet Airburst Destruction

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 31 23:17:38 EDT 2009

Keith wrote


>On PBS tonight in the US is about Meteorite impacts

>on Earth or see it online at pbs.org/nova , NOVA: Comet

>Airburst Destruction

>

>See how explosion three miles above Earth would act

>like a white-hot tornado on the surface. .

>

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbKIbPKWo2c&feature=channel_page


Also, there is the Libyan Desert Glass and the mysteriously
craterless Australasian tektite field, which the above URLs
need to be kept in mind, while contemplating.

Best Wishes

Paul H.

Did Giant Salt Lakes Cause Permian Mass Extinction ???

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 31 23:09:44 EDT 2009

New Theory On Largest Known Mass Extinction In Earth's
History: The largest mass extinction in the history of
the earth could have been triggered off by giant salt
lakes, whose emissions of halogenated gases changed the
atmospheric composition so dramatically that vegetation
was irretrievably damaged, Science Daily, March 31, 2009,

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330102659.htm

New theory on largest known mass extinction in the history
of the earth. Did volatile halogenated gases from giant
salt lakes at the end of the Permian Age lead to a mass
extinction of species?

http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=17896
and http://www.ufz.de/index.php?de=17896

Weissflog, L. N.F. Elanskii, K. Kotte, F. Keppler, A.
Pfennigsdorff, C.A. Lange, E. Putz, L.V. Lisitzina, 2009,
Late Permian Changes in Conditions of the Atmosphere and
Enviroments Caused by Halogenated Gases. Dokladi Earth
Sciences. vol. 424, no. 6, pp. 818-823.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/t8n5118h4w180566/?p=8383a07971444193bea480c152b84936&pi=25

Yours,

Paul H.

Origin of Sirente “crater” (sag) disputed

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Thu Mar 26 09:08:34 EDT 2009

An article in journal of Geophysical Research disputes
the origin of the what has been called the “Sirente crater”.

The paper discussing this theory is:

Speranza, F., I. Nicolosi, N. Ricchetti, G. Etiope, P. Rochette,
L. Sagnotti, R. De Ritis, and M. Chiappini (2009), The
“Sirente crater field,” Italy, revisited. Journal of Geophysical
Research. vol. 114, B03103, doi:10.1029/2008JB005759
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2008JB005759.shtml

They concluded:

“Our data show that the Sirente crater and the minor
depressions are simply the results of human activity and
karstic processes, respectively.”

An article that discusses this paper is:

Bondre, N., 2009, Geomorphology: Crater or not? Nature
Geoscience. vol 2, no. 3, p. 166.

TOC at
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v2/n3/index.html

PDF file at
http://www.tulane.edu/~kmstraub/Publications/Abrams_09/News_and_Views_09.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Kennett Talk and NOVA special on Younger Dryas Impacts

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Wed Mar 25 09:50:45 EDT 2009


E.P. Grondine mentioned the below NOVA Special in his post,
“[meteorite-list] NOVA special on Holocene Start Impacts and AD”.

PBS Program to Feature Two UMaine Scientists, March 23, 2009
http://www.umaine.edu/news/view_release.php?x=1237809989

Dr. Kennett gave a talk, which included a lot of research that is either
being prepared for publication, been submitted for publication, and in
press. Dr. Kennett made a very convincing case that something unique,
extraordinary, and instantaneous occurred at the beginning of the
Younger Dryas about 12,900 B. calender years ago and could be an
event that was extraterrestrial in nature. His idea that it involved
multiple, simultaneous Tunguska-like events occurring across the
North American continent.

He also, discussed and showed pictures of the research on the
Greenland ice sheet, carried out by Paul Mayewski, and Andrei
Kurbatov. Outcropping along the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet
is a well defined Younger Dryas bed, which consists of dark grey
dusty ice with clean, white Holocene ice above it and clean, white
terminal Pleistocene ice below it. They found the nannodiamonds
and other alleged impact indicators right at and only at the basal
contact of the Younger Dryas ice layer. They found exactly what
would be expected for an layer of meteoritic debris from Tunguska-
like events.

This is a show that you do not want to miss.

It is in the realm of possibility, that decade or so from now, Dr.
West, Dr. Kennett, and other members the YDB Group will likely
be known as the "Walter Alvarezes of the Quaternary.

I am now getting together with a couple of archaeologists to do
some “prospecting” for nannodiamonds and microspherules.

Some relevant publications:

Haynes, V. C., Jr., 2008, Younger Dryas “black mats” and the
Rancholabrean termination in North America. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. vol. 105 no. 18 6520-6525
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/18/6520.abstract

Did a Significant Cool Spell Mark the Demise of Megafauna?
http://uanews.org/node/19409

Kennett, J.D., J.P. Kennett, G.J. West, J.M. Erlandson, J.R.
Johnson, I.L. Hendy, A. West, B.J. Culleton, T.L. Jones and
Thomas W. Stafford Jr., 2008, Quaternary Science Reviews.
vol. 27, no. 27-28, pp. 2530-2545.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2008.09.006

Kennett, D.J., J. P. Kennett, A. West, C. Mercer, S. S. Que
Hee, and L. Bement, 2009, Nanodiamonds in the Younger Dryas
Boundary Sediment Layer. Science. vol. 323, no. 5910, p. 94.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/323/5910/94

Best Regards,

Paul H

The terrestrial Permian-Triassic boundary event bed is a nonevent

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 17 13:18:58 EDT 2009

New paper about the Permian-Triassic boundary is South Africa
has been published in the March 2009 issue of “Geology”. It
argues that the so-called “event bed” that allegedly marks the
Permian-Triassic boundary neither marks it nor can be used to
interpreted paleoenvironmental changes that occurred during
the Permian-Triassic extinction event. The paper is:

Gastaldo, R.A., J. Neveling2, C.K. Clark, and S.S. Newbury, 2009,
The terrestrial Permian-Triassic boundary event bed is a nonevent
Geology. vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 199-202, doi:10.1130/G25255A.1

The abstract for Gastaldo, et al. (2009) can be found at:

http://geology.gsapubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/3/199

and the PDF file for it can be obtained from either:

http://www.colby.edu/~ragastal/RAG_reprints/RAG2009a.pdf

or http://www.colby.edu/~ragastal/Publications.htm

“ GSA Data Repository Item 2009056, The terrestrial Permian-Triassic
boundary event bed is a non-even” is downloadable from:

ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2009/2009056.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Renewed Interest in Asteroid Defence

Paul
Fri Mar 13 16:32:33 EDT 2009

Near Miss Renews U.N. Interest in Asteroid Defence By Thalif Deen,
Inter Press Service, http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46089

NEO News (03/12/09) UN Report on NEO Threat Mitigation
http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-031209-un-report-on-neo-threat.html

NEO News (03/07/09) Newsworthy NEAs: 2009DD45 & 2008TN166
http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/2009/03/neo-news-030709-newsworthy-neas.html

Surprise Asteroid Buzzed Earth Monday, National Geographic, March 2, 2009,
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090302-asteroid-earth.html

EDITORIAL COMMENT | Cosmic Near-miss, Times of India,
March 11, 2009
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/EDITORIAL-COMMENT--Cosmic-Near-miss/articleshow/4253466.cms

Yours,

Paul H.

Recently Published Papers on Impact Structures and Impactites

Paul
Sun Feb 15 23:11:48 EST 2009

Dear Friends,

Below are some recent papers about impact structures and
alleged impactites that have appeared.

1. Schmieder, M., E. Buchner, and D. P. LeHeron, 2009, The Jebel
Hadid structure (Al Kufrah Basin ,SE Libya)—A possible impact
structure and potential hydrocarbon trap? Marine and Petroleum
Geology. vol 26. no. 3, pp. 310-318. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.04.003

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.04.003

The Jebel Hadid structure is formed in the Nubian Sandstone and
located in southern Al Kufrah Basin. It is a 4.7 km circular
feature with a set of multiple concentric annular ridges. they
suggest "that the Jebel Hadid structure might represent an
eroded, complex impact structure' much like the Tin Bider
structure in Algeria. Its location is 20º 52' N and 22º 42' E).

2. Ghoneim, E. M., 2008, Ibn-Batutah: A possible simple impact
structure in southeastern Libya, a remote sensing study.
Geomorphology. vol. 103, no. 3, pp. 341-350.

The Ibn-Batutah feature is a circular structure centered on
21° 34′ 10″ N and 20° 50′ 15″ E and located in southeastern
Libya. It is formed in Nubian Sandstone.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.07.005
http://www.bu.edu/remotesensing/faculty/research/ghoneim/index.html

3. McCall, G. J. H., 2009, Half a century of progress in research
on terrestrial impact structures: A review. Earth-Science Reviews.
vol 92, no. 3-4, pp. 99-116.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.11.004

4. McCall, G. J. H., in press, The Carbonado diamond conundrum
Earth-Science Reviews, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available
online 13 February 2009. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.01.002

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.01.002

"The reviewer presents the results of a literature search on the
enigmatic occurrences of carbonado; a form (but not the only
form) of polycrystalline diamond, which is mined for industrial
diamonds."

He hypothesizes that "carbonado does stem from terrestrial
eruptive processes" and concludes that much research remains
to be performed before any conclusions can be reached.

5. Schmieder, M., and E. Buchner, 2007, Short note: The Faya
basin (N Chad, Africa) – A possible impact structure? Journal
of African Earth Sciences. vol. 47, pp. 62–68.

The Faya basin is an almost circular structure, centered on
18º 10' N and 19º 34' E. It lies about 55 km ENE of the city
of Faya (Largeau) and has a diameter of about 2 km."

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2006.11.004
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007JAfES..47...62S

Yours,

Paul

Life forms May Have Evolved In Ancient Hot Springs On Mars

Paul
Thu Feb 12 15:12:21 EST 2009

Life forms May Have Evolved In Ancient Hot Springs On Mars
Science Daily, Feb. 12, 2009

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212112829.htm

Evidence of Ancient Hot Springs on Mars Detailed in
Astrobiology Journal, Vicki Cohn, Mary Ann Liebert,
Inc. publishers

http://www.liebertpub.com/prdetails.aspx?pr_id=693

Allen C. C., and D. Z. Oehler, in press, A Case for
Ancient Springs in Arabia Terra, Mars. Astrobiology.

PDF file can be found at

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.0239

Yours,

Paul H.

A Martian Giant's Causeway (Columnar Basalt Observed on Mars)

Paul
Thu Feb 12 15:11:29 EST 2009

A Martian Giant's Causeway by Chris Rowan
February 11, 2009, A Martian Giant's Causeway

http://scienceblogs.com/highlyallochthonous/2009/02/a_martian_giants_causeway.php?utm_source=sbhomepage&utm_medium=link&utm_content=channellink

Milazzo, M. P., L.P. Keszthelyi, W.L. Jaeger,
M. Rosiek, S. Mattson, C. Verba, R.A. Beyer,
P.E. Geissler, A.S. McEwen, 2009, Discovery of
columnar jointing on Mars. Geology. vol. 37,
no. 2, pp. 171-174 DOI: 10.1130/G25187A.1

Abstract at http://geology.gsapubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/2/171

Yours,

Paul H.

Astronaut's Video Satirizes NASA Bureaucracy

Paul
Mon Feb 9 13:28:46 EST 2009

Astronaut's Video Satirizes NASA Bureaucracy
by Nell Greenfieldboyce. Morning Edition, February 9, 2009

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100346538

Andy Thomas/YouTube.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_424YskAfew

Yours,

Paul H.

"New Scientist" Commentary About Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis

Paul
Sun Feb 8 17:05:33 EST 2009

Hecht, J., 2009, Beware Earth-shattering headlines.
New Scientist. no. 2694, p. 24 (February 5, 2009)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126947.000-beware-earthshattering-headlines.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Suspect in Tuscon Fossil and Mineral Thefts Arrested

by Paul
Sun Feb 8 16:57:47 EST 2009

Suspect in resort break-ins linked to fossil-mineral thefts
last year By Alexis Huicochea, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson,
Arizona, February 7, 2009

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/279265

Yours,

Paul H.

Suspect in Tuscon Fossil and Mineral Thefts Arrested

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Sun Feb 8 16:57:47 EST 2009

Suspect in resort break-ins linked to fossil-mineral thefts
last year By Alexis Huicochea, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson,
Arizona, February 7, 2009

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/279265

Yours,

Paul H.

Papers Dispute the Existence of Wildfires with Start of Younger Dryas

Paul
Fri Feb 6 16:30:31 EST 2009

Two papers, both of which dispute the occurrence of wildfires
associated with a hypothetical impact event at the start of the
Younger Dryas, have been recently published. They are:

1. Marlon, J. R., P. J. Bartlein, M. K. Walsh, S. P. Harrison, K. J.
Brown, M. E. Edwards, P. E. Higuera, M. J. Power, R. S.
Anderson, C. Briles, A. Brunelle, C. Carcaillet, M. Daniels,
F. S. Hu, M. Lavoie, C. Long, T. Minckley, P. J. H. Richard,
A. C. Scott, D. S. Shafer, W. Tinner, C. E. Umbanhowar, Jr.,
and C. Whitlock, 2009, Wildfire responses to abrupt climate
change in North America. Proceedings for the National
Academy of Science. Published online before print
February 3, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0808212106

Abstract at:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/02/03/0808212106.abstract

and 2. van der Hammen, T. and B. van Geel, 2008, Charcoal
in soils of the Allerød-Younger Dryas transition were the
result of natural fires and not necessarily the effect of an extra-
terrestrial impact. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences (Geologie
en Mijnbouw) vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 359-361.

PDF file at:

http://www.imep-cnrs.com/docu/charcoal.pdf
http://www.njgonline.nl/publish/articles/000404/english.html

A paper about the role of climatic change unrelated to
extraterrestrial impacts in wildfire synchrony is:

Kitzberger, T., P. M. Brown, E. K. Heyerdahl, T. W. Swetnam,
and T. T. Veblen, 2007, Contingent Pacific–Atlantic Ocean
influence on multi-century wildfire synchrony over western
North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America. vol. 104 , no. 2.
pp. 543-548.

Abstract at:

http://www.pnas.org/content/104/2/543.abstract

Yours,

Paul H.

Prehistoric Fluvial Transport of Libyan Desert Glass From Original Impact Structure

by Paul
Sun Feb 1 01:39:11 EST 2009

Ramirez-Cardona, M., A. El-Barkooky, M. Hamdan, K.
Flores-Castro, N. I. Jimenez-Martinez, and M.
Mendoza-Espinosa, 2008, On the Libyan Desert Silica
Glass (LDSG) transport model from a hypothetical
impact structure. PIS-01 General contributions to
impact structures, International Geological
Congress Oslo 2008, Oslo, Norway.

"Fragments of this glass are mostly scattered upon
the exposed bedrock of Nubia group (cretaceous
sandstone), on a large surface area along wide
corridors between dunes of the Great Sand Sea
(SW of Egypt). This distribution is somewhat the
result of the tektite fluvial transport occurring
throughout the Oligocene-Miocene boundary."

http://www.cprm.gov.br/33IGC/1350834.html

PIS-01 General contributions to impact structures

http://www.cprm.gov.br/33IGC/Sess_303.html

International Geological Congress Oslo 2008

http://www.cprm.gov.br/33IGC/index.html

Yours,

Paul H.

Non-impact origin of the crater field in the Gilf Kebir region (SW Egypt)

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 31 12:34:52 EST 2009

Dear Friends

For what is (or is not) worth I found these references while looking
for something else.

Non-impact origin of the crater field in the Gilf Kebir region
(SW Egypt) by M. Di Martino, L. Orti, L. Matassoni2, M.
Morelli, R. Serra, abnd A. Buzzigoli PDF file at:

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/doc.cfm?fobjectid=40214

Another file can found at:
http://www.rssd.esa.int/SYS/include/pubs_display.php?project=MARSEXPRESS&id=1324871

and finally there is:
http://www.rssd.esa.int/SYS/include/pubs_display.php?project=MARSEXPRESS&id=1006109

Some other web pages:

1. Remarks to the origin of the craters around Gilf Kebir and
Djebel Uweinat (Egypt) and the supposed impact craters of
Libya. 3. A not credible message to a so named crater "Kebira"
by Norbert Brügge, Germany’

http://www.b14643.de/Sahara/Clayton%20Craters/index.htm

2. Pseudo Shatter Cones in the Western Desert (Egypt)
by Norbert Brügge, Germany

http://www.b14643.de/Sahara/Shatter%20Cones/index.htm

Yours,

Paul H.
Baton Rouge, LA

Mid-Pleistocene impact at Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt

Paul bristolia at yahoo.com
Sat Jan 31 00:45:50 EST 2009

A new paper has just been published about this impact.

Smith, J. R., M. R. Kleindienst, H. P. Schwarcz, C. S.
Churcher, J. M. Kieniewicz, G. R. Osinski, and A. F.C.
Haldemann, 2009, Potential consequences of a Mid-
Pleistocene impact event for the Middle Stone Age
occupants of Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt.
Quaternary International. Volume 195, no. 1-2,
pp, 138-149 (15 February 2009)
doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2008.02.005 http://dx.doi.org

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VGS-4S1C8CB-2&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F15%2F2009&_rdoc=14&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236046%232009%23998049998%23866095%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6046&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=19&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=913463ba7467fe0617a892eb9fb829c1

Quaternary International. Volume 195, no. 1-2

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10406182

Another Paper:

Osinski, G. R. H. P. Schwarcz, J. R. Smith, M. R. Kleindienst,
A. F.C. Haldemanne and C. S. Churcherf, 2007, Evidence for a
circa 200–100 ka meteorite impact in the Western Desert of
Egypt. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. vol. 253, no. 3-4,
pp. 378-388. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2006.10.039 http://dx.doi.org

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V61-4MH2C3K-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=3a9ede3c568dda82d7baecd87e247d48

Volume 278, Issues 1-2, Pages 1-142 (15 February 2009)

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0012821X

Yours,

Paul H.